The Enid Blyton Society

I just enjoyed this article from the BBC about an exhibition at the British Library of Jane Austen's notebooks in which she wrote her earliest stories as a teenager: The racy side of Jane Austen (Don't worry, it's nothing "racy" as in "unsuitable for under-18s"! )

Recently I read Paula Byrne's excellent biography The Real Jane Austen, which also goes into quite a bit of detail about her teenage writings and how full of colourful characters and tongue-in-cheek scandalous yarns they are compared with her more mature writings as an adult. I'll definitely have to go along to the British Library while this exhibition is on and have a look.

Machupicchu14 wrote:Really Courtenay? Why?
I still believe the 2005 is the best one. How I love Mr. Darcy in that movie!!!

Oh, me too. Only it is Elizabeth ( Keira Knightley) that had me swooning! Darcy was very well played, though. I just couldn't help seeing him as Ripper Street's Inspector Reid!

Ooh, I've just started reading Jane Austen at Home myself, Floragord! Very much enjoying it so far. I won't be able to catch the TV programme tonight, but will watch it on iPlayer later — thanks for reminding me.

I must keep a look out for a copy of Jane Austen At Home, let me know what you think of it. I've already set the recorder for the TV programme. I'm reading Mansfield Park at the moment which I think is my favourite, at least until I start re-reading Emma or P&P or Persuasion or...

I couldn't watch it tonight as I was on shift, but I spread the word around the care home and a few of our ladies watched it. They all thoroughly enjoyed it, too!

Finished reading Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley the other day — a really lovely and interesting and very readable, engaging book. Highly recommended for everyone from die-hard "Janeites" to those who are just mildly interested in her!

Just recently I had another trip to "Austen country" — Hampshire — and revisited Jane Austen's House Museum in Chawton, as well as Winchester, where she died 200 years ago this year. There are a few commemorative exhibitions. At her Chawton house, they're highlighting various objects that belonged to Jane or her family and tell something of their lives. I also enjoyed visiting Winchester Cathedral (where Jane is buried) and seeing an exhibition there of artworks inspired by her life, her writings and her faith (she was a devout Anglican). Here's one I particularly liked, with some sage advice from Pride and Prejudice!

I've not read Lucy Worsley's book, but I did watch the 'Jane Austin at home' that she presented on TV a few nights ago. Very interesting & enjoyable. Lucy is my idea of what a grown up Anne (F5) would look like, if she were real!

number 6 wrote:Lucy is my idea of what a grown up Anne (F5) would look like, if she were real!

You mean Lucy Worsley isn't real??

Haha! How silly of me! I really must think before I post!

Oh, don't worry, I knew what you meant — just couldn't resist seizing on the ambiguity!

Meanwhile, it's turned out that I can make it to Frome next month for this special event: An Evening with Jane Austen's Music Books

David Owen Norris, pianist, composer and broadcaster (BBC television and Radio 3) explores the musical world of the novels, and delves into the question of Austen's musical creativity. Could she have composed a Piano Sonata? Hear it, and make up your own mind! Norris frequently plays this repertoire at the Austen family home at Chawton. This evening he will play a square piano from Jane Austen's time.

Sounds intriguing!

I think the new £10 note depicting Jane Austin was supposed to be unveiled today, floragord. It goes into circulation soon, but I don't know for sure which month!

There was an article about it on the BBC website today — it goes into circulation on the 14th of September.

I might add I did make it to the event in Frome that I posted about earlier — "An Evening with Jane Austen's Music Books" by BBC Radio 3 presenter David Owen Norris. He played a number of pieces from the Austen family's music books on a square piano of that era and discussed some of the music that Jane was interested in and referred to in her books and letters. Most intriguingly, there's a piano piece in her music books simply entitled "Sonata", written out in Jane's hand but without a composer's name on it (every other piece she copied out to play has the composer's name) and with a little drawing by her down the side of one of the pages. Did she compose it herself? David played it for us — it was a lovely piece in three movements, not dramatically innovative but very enjoyable to listen to, and obviously composed by someone who had a good knowledge of music and technical ability at the keyboard, which we know Jane had. I reckon it really might be by her!

Thanks, Courtenay! Sounds like a great evening!